Silver Lining
by Chaos Inventor
Summary: Mistel presumed that this cloud would be like all the others of his life, coming and going without making any change. He'd never come across a silver lining before, so that seemed like nothing more than a thing of fiction. (The sequel to Mastermind.)
1. Chapter 1

_(A/N: This continues straight after where Mastermind finished. I was actually going to put the genres for this story as Romance/Friendship, but then I remembered some of the stuff I have planned for the later chapters... so it's Romance/Drama.)_

* * *

A gloomy silence filled the antique shop that evening.

The surface of the dining table was cold against Mistel's forehead. It didn't bother him. He knew he would accustom to it, as he would lie like this for the rest of the day…

So when he heard a knocking, followed by the door downstairs opening, his body suddenly jolted upright.

He remained seated, tentatively wondering who it was and cycled through the possibilities in his mind, but as the unknown guest ascended the stairs, Mistel was more surprised that he did not immediately recognise their footsteps.

Whoever he could have expected, it was none of them. The person who entered the room now was that girl with the yellow dress and the sunny disposition; Lillie.

She strode purposefully into the room but since Mistel was staring at her in confusion, her determination sputtered and she stood facing him, silent.

Finally Mistel asked her, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh. I, uh… just got back from work and, well, Agate mentioned that she'd seen you wander off looking upset. And I knew nobody else was with you… so I came by to cheer you up!"

Lillie's explanation didn't help Mistel comprehend the situation at all.

 _No, no, no, it's all wrong! Even if someone was going to come by to cheer me up… Lillie? That doesn't make any sense!_ Mistel's face had scrunched up as he tried to think it through.

Reminding himself that he had company, he exhaled lightly to calm and compose himself.

He couldn't make sense of it but decided it was better not to try. He had lost track of all the strings connecting people together over the years. Maybe something had happened with Lillie recently that he hadn't noticed.

"Thank you for your concern, but it really isn't necessary. I'm perfectly all right. I have no need of being cheered up," Mistel said and smiled.

Lillie didn't seem to believe him entirely, for she remained. "You have a record player, don't you? Where do you keep your albums? I'd like to put something on," she said, looking about the room.

Mistel raised his eyebrows in suspicion and asked her, "Why do you want to put on music?"

"Well, I thought we could… um, th-that we..." Lillie looked down to the ground and fidgeted as she mumbled. She breathed in sharply, held out her hand towards Mistel, and said, "Mistel… would you like to dance?"

Mistel could see her legs were shaking slightly, so he was even more confused by her suggestion than he might have otherwise been.

"Why on earth would you force your way into my home to ask if I'd like to dance with you?" Mistel asked.

Lillie returned her hand to her side hurriedly and her gaze fell to the floor once again. Awkwardly, she explained herself, "Um, uh, well… I said I wanted to cheer you up. And I remembered that the last time we danced together… you seemed very happy. I mean, I-I remember you were grinning."

Mistel paled. "...You saw that?" He had been so sure Lillie hadn't noticed his grin. He cleared his throat, trying not to lose his calm. "A-As I said before, I am in no need of being cheered up. And anyway, you seem more likely to tremble in my arms than dance with me."

Mistel smiled brightly again, willing Lillie to leave the room. But she would not give up.

The stubborn girl continued further into the room and spoke back to him, "I'm still going to stay until I'm certain you're feeling better."

She sat down across from Mistel, intending to improve his mood with conversation, but the way he stared at her made it difficult for her to say a word.

Although he had smiled at her, he wasn't doing well to hide the harshness in his eyes. She knew he just didn't want her here.

Lillie wondered what she could possibly say to him to make him feel better and as she thought, she looked up at the ceiling to avoid contact with Mistel's eyes.

Mistel watched her for a few moments, but since he knew it was hopeless and she was not going to leave, he gave up. He didn't feel much like pretending right now.

He slammed his head back down on the table and Lillie was so startled, her eyes snapped back over to him.

"Um… so," Lillie mumbled.

"What?" Mistel moaned miserably, not even bothering to raise his head slightly.

"...You're feeling lonely, right?" Lillie said. Mistel didn't reply, so she continued, "That's why I'm going to stay here with you. If there's anything I can do, just let me know."

"I thought I'd already made it clear that there's nothing you can do," Mistel grumbled back.

"Then at least having someone here is better than being alone, right?"

There was silence for awhile after that, until Mistel lifted his head up to peer at Lillie suspiciously.

"Oh? That's it? You're just going to sit there silently?" he asked.

Lillie was a little startled. "B-But, I thought you just..."

"You said you wouldn't leave until I felt better, right? With how quiet you are being now, I can only assume that means you're hoping to stay overnight!" Mistel snapped.

Lillie's face turned bright red and she shouted back, "NO, I WASN'T THINKING THAT AT ALL!"

Mistel sighed. Not even making fun of Lillie had lifted his spirits.

He leaned against the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Seeing the hopelessness in his eyes, Lillie knew she had to do something.

She allowed herself some time to think before getting to her feet and walking around the table.

"M… Maybe I **was** hoping to stay overnight."

Mistel's eyes widened and he slowly twisted his neck to face Lillie.

She was attempting to smile and bat her eyelashes at him, but she'd clearly never done anything remotely flirtatious in her life.

After being stared at for so long, Lillie broke down. "...That's the only way I'm going to be able to cheer you up, isn't it? By playing along with the things you say?" she said.

Mistel was stunned. His eyes had grown even wider to the point where his entire irises were visible. He simply could not believe it.

He burst into laughter and when he finally got a hold of himself, he replied, "That's definitely not necessary."

"You're not just saying that so I stop talking, are you?"

"Trust me when I say you are much more amusing when you're embarrassed."

"Well… good. Because I don't think I could ever do that again!" Lillie squeaked, and quickly buried her face in her hands.

Mistel couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

Suddenly, the door of the antique shop opened and footsteps rushed up the stairs.

Mistel twisted his neck around to see Raeger fly around the corner.

"Mistel, I-"

Raeger stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lillie standing in the room. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments in awkward silence.

Raeger looked to Mistel, his eyes asking him, "What is _she_ doing here?"

Mistel responded with a shrug that answered, "I have no idea either."

Raeger turned back to Lillie and said aloud, "Uh… hello, Lillie."

Startled and nervous in his presence, Lillie took awhile to respond, but eventually she said in return, "H-hello, Raeger."

"So… do you have a reason to be here?" Raeger asked.

"I was trying to cheer up Mistel," Lillie explained.

"Well… I'm here now," Raeger said.

Lillie sighed. She knew she couldn't make a difference; not now, anyway. Both Mistel and Raeger were looking at her strangely, like she didn't belong.

"Goodbye," Lillie said quickly and hurried out.

After she was gone, Raeger returned his attention back to Mistel and asked him, "What was that about?"

"I honestly don't have a clue," Mistel answered.

Raeger changed the subject then, to what he had come by for. "Anyway… I sort of heard about what happened from Annie. Are you… okay?"

Mistel averted his gaze and said nothing. Raeger tried to catch his eye, to ascertain from his expression how he felt, when Mistel at last spoke, "I just wanted some time alone so I could wallow in self-pity. What is the matter with you all? Why are you barging into my home like this when I want to be miserable?!"

Raeger knelt beside the couch and put his arms around Mistel, hugging him. "I'm sorry. I'll never let you wallow in self-pity. I'll always be here for you," he said.

"...Damn you," Mistel muttered back, though he didn't struggle against Raeger's embrace at all.

* * *

The next morning, soon after Mistel had prepared the antique shop for work that day, the shop's door opened and Annie stepped inside.

Mistel observed as her eyes jumped from place to place and she tried very hard to keep her hands by her side rather than to begin twisting her apron; her tell-tale sign that she was nervous.

"I thought we'd gotten past this awkward stage," he said with disappointment.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, then stepped forward and, having found enough courage, said, "Mistel… You made me confront Elise with my feelings yesterday, as you obviously already know. And… she accepted to go out with me."

"Is that so?" Mistel replied. He had considered feigning ignorance, but in the end he didn't even bother trying to sound surprised.

"Yes. So, I… I was wondering… are we still friends?"

Mistel raised his eyebrows curiously at her, wondering why she would even feel the need to ask that.

After a look at his face, Annie continued, "You said before that you'd be my friend no matter what happened with Elise but… now that it's happened, are you still going to go along with that?"

"Of course! That you need even ask that surprises me. Annie, I care about you far too much to not be a part of your life," Mistel explained.

Annie looked away, her face creasing with worry. "I don't know if we can though… It makes me feel terrible, knowing you still love me. I'd always feel so guilty if you were around… And wouldn't you feel hurt?"

Mistel sighed. "It's no problem for me at all. Perhaps I should have explained myself more clearly," he said, tapping his chin with his forefinger. "Ah, I know! Allow me to rephrase myself now. My feelings for you weren't entirely romantic, so it's easy to push those feelings aside."

"Hmm… Are you certain you're not just trying to make me stop worrying?" Annie asked.

"Quite. Remember, I never said I wanted to date you." Mistel's mischievous smile returned as he brought back this past misunderstanding of Annie's.

"I wonder sometimes what it is you _do_ want," Annie sighed.

"The answer to that is simple. I want you to be happy! If dating me would have made you happy, then I would have gladly gone along with it," Mistel explained, "but I think you will be much happier with me supporting you as a friend."

"I still find the things you say so unbelievable," Annie grumbled.

"So, what do you have planned to do today? Anything in particular?" Mistel inquired.

"Oh, I'm actually going on a date with Elise. I just wanted to talk to you before I headed over there," Annie replied.

Mistel was suddenly alert. "What are you wasting your time here for at all then?!" he snapped.

Annie's eyes widened in surprise, but she began to edge towards the door nervously as Mistel continued pestering her to hurry up.

Just before she reached the door, however, Mistel fell silent. In a wary tone, he asked, "Is that really what you're wearing?"

"Is… Is there something wrong with this?" Annie asked, looking down at her usual dress.

"Didn't you even think about wearing something special for the occasion?"

Annie shook her head, confused. Clearly the thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

Mistel sighed and shooed Annie away. "Never mind. You're fine. Now go! Elise is waiting!"

* * *

Over on the other side of town, Elise was sat before a mirror, gazing at her reflection. She peered closely, pushing her hair behind her shoulders and adjusting her jacket carefully. She waited patiently, but each second seemed to tick by slower than any before.

When she heard a knock at the front door, she knew at once it would be Annie. She leapt to her feet and raced her way to the stairs in the entrance of her home.

She took the steps quickly, scampering down in such a rush that as her foot reached for the second to last step, she lost her balance and fell forward.

Crashing in a heap on the ground, Elise groaned. A moment later, two maids had rushed over, prepared to help her back up, but their employer pulled herself up swiftly.

"I'm fine! Forget you even saw that!" Elise snapped at the two maids and continued on her way to the door as if nothing had happened.

She swung the door open and restrained her grin to a small smile as she took in the sight of the girl at the door.

"Hello Annie!" Elise said.

Annie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Elise was wearing the same outfit she was always in, but even so, she looked more radiant today than usual. Nervously, Annie asked, "You look very pretty! Did you… do something different today?"

"No! I haven't done anything out of the ordinary. I'm not that excited or something," Elise said. Behind her, the two maids shared a glance, both thinking about the ridiculous lie they'd just heard.

Elise shot a look back at them before closing the door and leaving for the restaurant with Annie.


	2. Chapter 2

On one typical Autumn evening, Angela and Agate were at the Inn, chatting with Lillie in her room. She had invited them over earlier in the day, sounding excited. But now that they were here, she was surprisingly quiet.

Angela swiftly brought the current conversation to a close as she asked Lillie, "Why did you ask us to come around?"

Lillie jumped as both others in the room turned their eyes to her. She had been hoping to avoid the matter for awhile longer, but her time was up. She lowered her head and explained herself in a quiet voice, "I wanted to ask you about Mistel..."

"We already talked about him though!" Agate piped up, sounding confused, but a moment later she continued, "Do you mean you're going to ask Angela about him because you don't trust my opinion?"

"You've discussed Mistel before? Why?" Angela asked.

Lillie shook her head rapidly, wishing to dispel Agate's question but beginning instead, "Okay first of all, I'll fill you in, Angela. Awhile back, I was talking to Mistel and he basically told me that he _made sure_ that Fritz and I went out together. I don't know why, and Agate said it wasn't a big deal..."

"Well, that's creepy. And?" Angela replied.

"I wanted to figure out **why** Mistel did that!" Lillie exclaimed.

"So you brought us here because you really did want my opinion as well as Agate's."

Lillie frowned. "What? No, I… That wasn't the second point."

"Then what is? Mistel's motives may have been unclear, but he didn't do anything that caused you serious trouble. As long as he isn't continuing to interfere with you, we don't have to worry about it," Angela stated clearly.

"All right then," Lillie sighed. "The reason I brought you both here to talk about Mistel is… I'm just really curious about him! I don't understand why you two brush off his actions entirely… but I can't help but be intrigued!"

Neither Angela or Agate said anything as they considered Lillie's words. They considered what ought to be done about Mistel, depending on what his own plans were.

And as they considered, Lillie continued speaking aloud. "I've been watching him for awhile and he's usually a step ahead of everyone. Then quite recently, he was acting a little strangely. Different to how he usually is. I didn't know why until I heard Annie had asked out Elise. Mistel just seems… more lonely now," she explained.

Angela's eyes had gone wide. "Wow… You really have been paying attention to him," she said.

Agate's eyes were even wider than Angela's. She had no control over the grin on her face as she spoke, "Oh my gosh… Lillie, do you like Mistel?! Like, really really like?!"

"What?!" Lillie gasped, throwing a hand up to cover part of her alarmed face.

"You said he intrigues you and you're watching him all the time," Agate murmured.

Lillie was silent, unable to think of a response. She turned away, trying to hide how red her cheeks had gotten, as she shouted, "I DON'T KNOW!"

Shocked, Angela spoke up now. "My goodness. It's really happened. Our dear Lillie has her first ever crush."

"I didn't say that!" Lillie yelled back, but Angela and Agate were both grinning, refusing to accept her denial.

The two exchanged a glance, wondering how best they could help Lillie, whilst the girl in question wanted to beg them to do nothing.

* * *

On a soon following day, Mistel was seated at the counter in the restaurant, enjoying his lunch for the day as were many other customers, when the restaurant door burst open abruptly.

Glancing over with only half-interest, Mistel was not surprised to see it was Fritz at the door. He was surprised however when the farmer ran straight up to him and asked, "Mistel! What happened with you and Lillie?!"

"I don't know what you mean by that… She just visited me once," Mistel answered. "Where did you get an idea that something has happened? Why are there rumours spreading about us?"

"Huh? There aren't any rumours," Fritz replied.

"Then… why did you even ask me about Lillie?" Mistel asked.

"I was talking to her earlier and she seemed very nervous when your name got brought up."

"But… isn't she always really nervous?"

Fritz shrugged. "Not really."

Mistel was truly confused. While he puzzled over the matter, Fritz sat down beside him.

"Are you going to eat lunch here too?" Mistel asked, deciding it would be better to change the subject altogether.

"Nah, I'm just going to wait until Raeger comes back over here so I can say hi," Fritz said.

"Ah of course. You must be very busy today if you're not even stopping for a lunch break." Mistel turned himself around enough to get a look at Raeger who was still working with other customers. "I'm rather surprised he didn't run over here the moment you entered the building though."

"What are you talking about? He's as busy as I am." Fritz sounded confused but amused all the same.

Mistel's lips twisted into a smirk as he replied, "Yes, but he loves making a fool of himself for you."

He returned to his meal then and it was awhile after that when Raeger finally got back to the kitchen.

"Sorry that took so long. So Fritz? What would you like?" Raeger asked.

"I'm not here to eat. I just wanted to say hi," Fritz replied.

"Oh. Well… hi."

"Yup! Hi!" Fritz beamed and Raeger's loose smile turned into a grin against his will at the sight.

Mistel pretended to be completely focused on his meal while this riveting conversation took place.

"Okay then, I'll be off now!" Fritz said and stood up to go.

"Uh… hang on a moment," Raeger called out. Fritz stopped where he was and looked back at him. "You just sat there so patiently, I can't let you leave like this."

"I have work to do though."

"I know. So after I'm finished with work tonight, I'll make you dinner."

"Woah, really?"

"Yes really. It's the least I could do."

"Okay. I'll see you then, Muffin!" Fritz said and left the restaurant.

There was silence after his departure for some time until Mistel asked, "Did I just hear that right? Did he just call you… Muffin?"

Raeger's face was bright red and he snapped at Mistel, "Shut up! Just don't say anything about it!"

"But it was adorable!" Mistel replied.

"...Wait really?" Raeger murmured suspiciously. He wondered why Mistel hadn't taken the opportunity to tease him.

"Of course! And anyway, you're already embarrassed enough by it. I don't even need to say anything."

* * *

As the sun began to set one weekday, Mistel leaned against the brick wall behind him, glancing along the path to the trade depot every now and again.

He wondered how long it would be until Lillie walked through the archway. She always got back from work around this time of day so he knew it wouldn't be long, and sure enough, a few moments later, Lillie came in to view.

She was walking in beat with a song playing in her head, her arms moving gracefully by her side, and was so focused on this that she didn't notice Mistel until he'd walked over and called out, "Hello Lillie!"

Lillie stopped in her tracks, wishing her heart wouldn't beat so fast. "H-hello! I'm on my way home right now," she replied.

"I know. I was waiting for you to get here so I could apologise," Mistel said.

Lillie was surprised. Not that Mistel had something to apologise for, but that he was choosing to do so. "Apologise for what?"

"Quite some time ago now, you came to me to thank me for helping you and Fritz get together. I then told you I had orchestrated the whole thing, simply to terrify you. That was cruel of me," Mistel explained. "I was so surprised when you showed up to try and cheer me up the other day. Considering how I treated you, I never would have expected you to do that."

"So, you're saying I acted outside of your calculated knowledge?" Lillie asked.

That's exactly what he meant, but… why would Lillie say that? Mistel furrowed his brow, suspicious, wondering how to respond. "Yes, I suppose you could say that," he finally answered.

Lillie grinned but covered her mouth quickly. "Ahem, well, isn't that something!" She laughed nervously then.

Mistel had a few questions flitting about his mind, but he knew he ought to say goodbye and walk away now, as those questions were not his business… but what if they became his business?

Taking into account how Lillie had been acting, it was possible she might continue trying to push her way into his life, and he thought it was only fair that he know why she was doing that.

So he spoke up once more; "Lillie… I have a question for you."

"Huh?!" She was startled out of a daze that Mistel hadn't noticed she was in. "What is it?"

"Why _did_ you come to visit me that day? Why did you… want to cheer me up?" Mistel asked.

Lillie was paralysed for awhile, terrified, but she eventually replied, "I-I was just really worried about you."

"But why were you worried about **me**?"

Lillie's eyes jumped to meet his and a moment later, a look of realisation entered her eyes. She was quicker and seemed more relaxed when she next answered, "It's awful whenever anyone's sad, and if I can do something to help them, I'm going to do my best to try! It's just difficult sometimes to know what to do, especially when the other person pushes everyone else away."

Mistel remembered how he had repeatedly asked Lillie to leave, and he murmured quietly, "S-sorry..."

"Hmm?" Lillie replied, unable to make out what he'd said.

Mistel shook his head slowly a few times while saying, "Never mind."

"So, uh… Is that all? You still look a little troubled," Lillie said in a concerned tone.

"Oh no, I'm fine! I was just thinking to myself, a little too thoroughly." Mistel smiled so he wouldn't look so troubled, then mid-turn, he said, "Until we meet again."

Lillie sighed as Mistel walked away, relieved that he was satisfied with the answer she'd given him, and had not chosen to ask her anything more.

* * *

"Raeger, may I have a moment of your time?"

Raeger looked up from wiping down the counter, wondering who would show up so early this day to his restaurant. It was Klaus, but he didn't seem like he was here as a customer.

"I guess I'm not technically open for a few more minutes, so go ahead," Raeger replied.

Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I just wanted to chat and get to know what you've been up to lately, but you sound busy."

"Oh, sure I'm busy. I have a restaurant to run six days a week."

"I see," Klaus murmured, and then sounding highly worried, "So, how is Mistel?"

"Huh? Mistel? He's fine," Raeger replied, confused as to why Klaus was asking.

"Are you certain? After all, you have even less time for him than usual, now that you're with Fritz," Klaus said.

"I've been hanging out with Mistel just as much as before! I'm not going to start ignoring him no matter what," Raeger growled.

"But if you're so busy..." Klaus raised an eyebrow as Raeger became shifty eyed, looking anywhere except at Klaus himself. "Were you exaggerating so that I'd leave you alone?"

"...Yes," Raeger admitted.

Klaus laughed loudly and said, "I thought so. Not that you aren't busy with this restaurant, but you aren't serving customers every second of the day."

"Sorry about that. So, uh… what did you want to ask me again?"

"How is Mistel? He has seemed a little different than usual lately, so I wanted to be sure he was being supported."

Raeger was quiet for a moment, before asking, "Did Iris put you up to this?"

Klaus looked as though Raeger had just challenged him to a duel, and his crossed arms locked tighter together. "No, I noticed the change in him myself. He might not be easy to read, but I have known him for years."

"Well… I guess your worries might not be entirely unfounded… I mean, although I've been trying to spend just as much time with him as I did before, he has taken to avoiding me a bit more often now so that I can pay more attention to Fritz." Raeger lowered his head, feeling like a failure.

Klaus's face creased with worry again. "Maybe he'll come around but… But all this time, I've been rather useless. I just wanted to help out Iris's little brother..."

"Hey, it's not like he's going to go back to how he used to be. He has me, he has Annie. Everything's better for him than it was back then, so you shouldn't worry that you weren't able to help him."

Klaus sighed deeply, turning away.

Raeger took a closer look at him, and asked, "Why do you look so sad if everything's fine?" Then he gasped. "Are you lonely? This isn't about Mistel, it's about **you** having no one to spend time with! Or did you want to prove yourself to Iris by helping her brother but you failed and now she doesn't care about you? Or- or-"

"Why are you reading into something that isn't anything?" Klaus asked in an incredibly confused tone.


	3. Chapter 3

_(A/N: I'm not sure if I'm totally satisfied with this chapter. I feel like maybe I should have left it for a week and then reread it to decide what to change. But, you know, whatever.)_

* * *

On weekdays when Angela was taking her lunch break, Agate would drop by so that the two of them could discuss Lillie, since Lillie was at work in the city at these times.

 _We're not interfering,_ they had said to each other. _We just want to help Lillie, to give her advice._

But with each of these meetings, they realised more and more that they knew nothing of romance.

"I've been asked out before, but I don't think that counts," Angela murmured, as these experiences were with patients that she shooed away after dealing with their injuries or ailments.

"And everything's so different with animals," Agate said, thinking of her own knowledge.

"I'm not sure if we know less or more than her, but we definitely don't know enough to help her," Angela sighed.

"Then we should ask somebody who _does_ know more for help!" Agate stated.

"Who though? Somebody like… Iris?"

"Yes! Iris is exactly who we should ask!"

That was why when Iris was next finishing up a deadline, Mistel wasn't working in the antique shop and Lillie was busy in the city with work, Angela and Agate headed over to pay Iris a visit.

Iris glanced up from her writing desk as they entered the room, and upon seeing who was there, she curiously put down her pen.

"Agate? Angela? My day is certainly brighter for having you two in it, but may I ask what you two are doing here today?"

Agate didn't wait a second. "We're here to ask you for advice!" she exclaimed.

"What kind of advice?" Iris asked.

At that, Agate and Angela were quiet, neither sure exactly what to say.

"Uh… well, we were wondering..." Angela mumbled but couldn't find the words to go on.

Fortunately, Agate burst out with, "What do you do when you like someone?!"

"Romantically speaking," Angela added, to make sure there was no confusion.

Iris was silent as her mouth slowly fell open, until suddenly she squealed and leapt to her feet. She wanted to drag both of them towards her in a hug but they were so startled, staring at her with their fearfully wide eyes, that she decided not to.

Instead, she settled for excitedly asking, "You like someone?! Do you both have someone you like or is it just one of you who wants my advice?"

Angela and Agate both put up their hands in a defensive way, shaking their heads frantically. Before coming here, they had sworn not to give Lillie away, but they didn't want Iris to be mistaken about them either.

"Oh, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" Iris giggled, then after a moment to regain her composure, continued, "Don't worry, I'll give you advice now."

Agate and Angela breathed sighs of relief as Iris gestured for them to sit down at the table where she followed them soon after, sitting across from then.

"Now to begin with, you need to get their attention. I'll teach you about subtle flirting later, since there's a lot to go into with that. Next you have to watch them closely and read their face and their actions. I'll go into more detail about that too later, but just keep in mind that if their eyes stay focused on you at all times, they're very engaged in your conversation, and if their eyes follow you and your actions, then you've definitely got a chance!"

As she spoke, Iris acted out a bit of what she meant by actions, moving her hands so deftly that you wouldn't notice she was doing anything on purpose, and drew attention to certain parts of her body. Her lips, for instance.

Imagining Lillie attempting anything like this left Angela and Agate shaking their heads again.

"Of course, it depends on who you're interacting with as well. People react to things differently," Iris continued.

Angela and Agate glanced at each other, trying to decide if they should speak up. In the end, they turned back to Iris, and Angela said, "How about… if it's Mistel?"

Iris fell silent again in shock. She was quiet for so long that they began to fear she was permanently stunned. "You mean… my brother? One of you likes my brother? Which one of you is it?! Which one, which one?!"

A feverish excitement rushed through Iris as she questioned the two girls. Both of them looked away and Iris could not read their faces.

She was so excited and impatient that she wished to withhold information until they answered, but forced herself to calm down and settle back on the sofa.

"Well, he **is** a problem. He rarely trusts anyone so he doesn't really believe people when they compliment him, or things like that. I think if you were to be subtle with him, he probably wouldn't care much about you and push you away like everyone else. Hmm… Yes, with him, you would have to be very direct," Iris said.

Agate felt more optimistic at this, thinking Lillie would have a much easier time with honesty than flirting. Angela was still sitting in worried silence as she wondered if Lillie would ever be able to get the words out of her mouth.

"Tell him how you feel! Although I guess if you suddenly drop that on him, he'd be shocked and wouldn't believe you anyway… so make sure to say hello to him every day and talk to him if you have the chance! Be kind and don't be too pushy! Once he's used to your visits, that's the right time to confess!" Iris leaned forward then. "Now tell me… Which one of you likes my brother?! Which one of you is it?!"

Angela and Agate replied at almost the same time, "We're not telling you!"

"Hmph. Fine. I'll find out anyway. I can just keep an eye on Mistel and eventually when one of you makes your move, I can ask him who it was!" Iris grumbled.

Angela and Agate got to their feet and before making their exit, said their goodbyes.

"Thank you for giving up some of your time for us, and for being so helpful," Angela said.

"And sorry since we're not very good students for this stuff," Agate added.

"Don't mention it! I will always be willing to give you more advice about anything, so just come and ask me! I would love to help you dress up for your meeting with Mistel, but since you won't tell me which one of you needs my help, I'll just have to wait for another day." Iris sounded wistful at the end of her sentence.

Then they left and after they were gone, Iris smirked.

"It's Agate. She hangs out with Mistel more than most people do and she's always gotten along with him. But…" Her smirk faltered. "She's never seemed interested in him before. Why all of a sudden? Maybe it really is Angela… and she just brought Agate along for moral support."

Iris sighed, her impatience returning. Her mind was racing with all her thoughts and she wasn't sure if she could focus long enough to reach her deadline today.

* * *

Lillie was astonished when Angela and Agate casually passed on their new advice as though it were their own.

"You want me… to talk to him?! It's difficult enough when that happens by chance but… if I have to initiate conversations… several conversations… You've got to be kidding me!" Lillie protested.

"You don't have to push yourself too far. Start simple," Angela advised.

"...I suppose I could say hello to him every day," Lillie murmured.

"And it's not like you even have to confess to him ever if you don't want to! Just keep talking to him, slowly building up to real conversations, until you feel more comfortable around him," Agate said.

Lillie buried her face in her hands, hoping one day she would have more courage.

She did start saying hello to Mistel every day without difficulty, but she felt like that was nothing of note.

Then on one of the final days of Autumn that year, she managed to start a conversation with Mistel.

"You seem so much better now compared to that day I found you moping in the antique shop. I'm glad to see that!" Lillie said cheerfully.

"Well, like I said, I just needed some time alone," Mistel replied, dismissing her comment.

Lillie frowned a little, not believing him. "Oh? I thought it was probably that you talked things out with Annie. Or maybe Raeger had cheered you up."

"No, really, it wasn't them," Mistel said.

"If you're going to be like that, I'd rather you just be honest and say you don't want to tell me the truth," Lillie grumbled.

"But I'm not lying!" Mistel said, and continued a moment later, "I was down because I knew both Annie and Raeger had other people in their lives now, people they needed to focus on more. I wanted to be alone and selfish for one day… so I could return to them as a good and helpful friend."

Mistel froze in place once he'd finished speaking and wondered why on earth he had just admitted all that to Lillie. _I've really lost my touch_ , he thought to himself.

Lillie, on the other hand, was smiling widely. "You sound so supportive and sweet!" she exclaimed.

"...Well, I have to balance out all the other stuff," Mistel said with a shrug in response.

* * *

Iris looked out an upstairs window, gazing over the layer of frost on the outside of the glass for a moment. The town itself was covered in snow, with mounds shovelled aside so the pathway was accessible.

As she turned away from the chilly sight, Iris couldn't help but sigh. She was bored.

She faced her brother who was also in the room, and wondered why he was still alone. How long would it take for Agate or Angela, whomever of them it was, to confess to Mistel?

Mistel had discarded his capelet to the side and was replacing it with a warmer jacket at that moment, so Iris asked, "Is the cold getting to you? I've noticed you're spending more time in the antique shop than elsewhere lately."

Mistel turned to his sister and answered, "It's not the cold so much as the lovey dovey couples I'm trying to avoid."

Iris looked at him curiously. "Oh? Are you sure you're not jealous of them?"

"I'm absolutely sure. They don't need a third wheel hanging around them, or even worse," Mistel muttered as he recalled the other night when Raeger, Fritz, Annie, and Elise had all been there together, "A fifth wheel."

Iris laughed and said, "No, what I meant by my question was were you jealous that you didn't have somebody to be lovey dovey with?"

"Not at all. I don't need somebody to share my food with, _although sometimes there's just way too much on my plate_ , but that's why it's better to stay at home anyway! I'll only ever make as much food as I'm going to eat," Mistel replied.

Iris tried her best to suppress her smirk as she said, " _Anyway_ , moving along. I was wondering if you've been getting many visits from someone, like Agate or Angela."

Mistel was very confused. "Angela? I could understand Agate but I almost never cross paths with Angela. And for your information, Agate hasn't spoken much more to me than usual either."

"Are you… sure?" Iris asked, her eyes narrowing. "Neither of them? They haven't even said hello to you more often?"

"No," Mistel answered swiftly, leaving Iris further confused. "On the other hand, Lillie has been speaking to me every day for almost a month or so. It's really quite bizarre."

"...Lillie?" Iris was utterly perplexed. "She's been talking to you? Not somebody else?"

"Yes, Lillie. She even said she wanted to talk to me today, about who knows what."

"Lillie… wants to talk to you… today?"

Mistel turned and faced Iris completely to give her a serious look, not wishing to repeat the word yes again.

Iris finally seemed to be getting her head around the situation. Finally, she murmured, "oh," and then she smiled slyly and asked, "When today?"

"I don't remember. A few hours from now, I think?" Mistel answered.

"You don't know? Well… just make sure you don't end up keeping her waiting!" Iris said.

Mistel peered at his sister suspiciously, wondering why her voice had quickened its pace so much.

"Yes, well… if my choices are between staying here with you as you are right now, or waiting for Lillie somewhere else, I might just go ahead and leave now."

Before Mistel could back out of the room, Iris called out, "Hang on!"

She raced over to him and began fixing up his jacket collar and his bow.

"I'm fine, leave me alone!" Mistel snapped, slapping Iris's hands away, and left the building quickly thereafter.

A little over an hour later, Lillie was entering the Inn after a walk around town, intending to go to her room so she could plan what she would say to Mistel when she saw him, but screamed aloud when she saw Mistel was already inside the Inn.

"W-w-what are you doing here already?!" Lillie asked, her voice quivering uncontrollably.

"Well, my sister was being weird so I decided I might as well just wait for you," Mistel answered. Lillie glanced around, so Mistel continued, "So? You said you wanted to talk to me, right?"

"Yes, but… I-I can't…!"

"I know you wanted to meet in a few hours, but can't you just tell me now?"

Lillie shook her head and, almost at the point of yelling, said, "No, not here! I can't! Ah, just come with me!"

She grabbed his wrist and dragged him out the door, ignoring his cry of, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Once outdoors, Lillie looked around as Mistel rubbed his wrist, although it wasn't too sore. There were a few people in view so Lillie decided this was not a suitable enough place, and said to Mistel, "We have to go somewhere quieter!"

She took off, up the nearby steps and past the general store, followed from a distance by Mistel. Now on the path to Fritz and Giorgio's farmland, Mistel said, "Nobody's around. Is this place fine?"

"...No, somebody might come through here! Lots of people wander around the forest on the weekend. We have to find a better spot!"

Lillie set off again, further along the trail. Soon enough, Mistel had joined her by the river behind the grain field. Neither said anything for a time as they looked out over the river.

"The river is rushing along like usual," Mistel said simply.

Lillie sighed and replied, "You're right. It's too loud. We have to go somewhere quieter."

At this, Mistel was fed up and let out an irritated sigh. He took hold of Lillie's wrist and began pulling her back into town. She tried to protest and convince Mistel that what she had to tell him was worth his time, but whenever she began to speak, he would look at her and her words faltered.

Finally, he pulled her inside the antique shop and went upstairs. Iris must have left in the hour he had been gone, because the room upstairs was empty.

 _Good,_ Mistel thought. _Now I don't have to tell her to leave._

Mistel turned back to Lillie and said, "Here we are alone. It's quiet. Is this good enough?"

"Uh… yes," Lillie mumbled.

"...Well then? What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Mistel asked.

"Uh… well, I-I've never done something like this before so I don't know how to start."

Mistel sighed, rubbing his forehead. Saying something might throw Lillie off, so he remained silent.

Lillie was pushing her hair back, behind her ears, then breathed out and said, "Okay. I'll just come out and say it. Mistel… I-I..." Mistel started to worry when Lillie looked fit to burst for several moments, but then she suddenly spoke again. "ITHINKI'MINLOVEWITHYOU!"

Mistel was silent for a moment, and then; "Heh… heh… Not the funniest joke, but..."

"You don't really think I'd make a joke of someone's feelings, do you?" Lillie snapped in reply.

"Then… I must have misheard you… You didn't… really just say… you were in love with me… did you?" Mistel looked closely at Lillie but her serious expression didn't waver, although her cheeks grew redder every second. "You're highly unusual. You think you love **me**?" he asked.

"Yes. I wasn't sure before but I know Fritz was just a friend to me even when I was dating him, because of the way I feel about you now." Lillie turned her gaze downwards since she could no longer stand looking Mistel in the eye.

"Why?"

"...W-why? You're asking me why do I love you?" Mistel nodded and Lillie continued embarrassedly, "But… you understand everything! Do I really have to say it?"

"I do not understand everything, clearly. That is why I'm asking you… why?" Mistel continued.

"W-well, I don't know either. I don't know why just seeing your face is enough to make my heart race. But… I do know that I want to hear _you_ say the words Fritz said to me when he asked me out. The words… you told him to say. _Your_ words."

Mistel scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. I will not repeat that rubbish. If we were to be lovers, I wouldn't waste my time with a second-hand speech. I would only ever offer you new words."

"But… you still won't consider it?" Lillie said, her eyes pitiful.

Mistel laughed and regained his calm demeanour as he said, "You may have feelings for me, but you'd regret dating me. You could never expect what I'm really like."

"I know you can be mean and selfish and you like to manipulate people, but I know that's not who you are altogether. And I know you're not being selfish by pushing me away right now because you're really just worried that you'll end up upsetting me in the future," Lillie said seriously. "Unless… you just really dislike me..."

She looked down at the ground then and said nothing. She hadn't considered that. Now she was afraid that it was true.

Her eyes were glistening and Mistel became worried that Lillie was about to cry.

"Wait a second… I mean, if you truly believe you want to be in a relationship with me… then I suppose we can… give it a try," Mistel murmured.

Lillie looked up slowly, her still sorrowful eyes regarding him suspiciously.

"And you're free to leave any time you wish, if you realise you don't want to be with me after all," Mistel promised.

"You're not going to be mean to me on purpose so I want to leave, are you?" Lillie grumbled.

"No, I'll be myself. That should be enough." Lillie seemed like she might be about to smile again, so Mistel quickly continued, "B-but Lillie, please don't get your hopes up. I don't know if I can promise you the things that you want."

"Then maybe you don't know what I want," Lillie countered.

"Well, if **I** am what you want, then you certainly are a mystery to me."


	4. Chapter 4

_(A/N: Life sure is something that gets in the way of things, huh?! But a new chapter exists after all this time so... yay. I have to admit, there are several things holding me back from writing this story that are related to the plot. I seriously need to find someone I can discuss this story with or else it will never get done...)_

* * *

Annie fiddled with the spoon in her hand, twirling it around, flipping it up and down, and very occasionally using it to stir her cup of tea, while she leaned on the counter in the restaurant.

The two of them, Annie and Raeger, were chatting and laughing with each other, swapping stories about recent happenings. They felt awkward when they would talk about their love lives in front of Mistel, so they would meet up from time to time like this.

Mid-conversation, the door to the restaurant burst open and the two inside stopped laughing abruptly to see who was there.

It was Fritz, the most well known for bursting into rooms, and he said to them, "Hey, have you heard?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Annie spoke up, "How can we know if we've heard it if you don't say what it is?"

"Mistel and Lillie are dating!" Fritz said.

Annie and Raeger's eyes grew wide and they looked at each other, both shocked, confused, and slightly horrified.

After grilling Fritz for all the information he had, Annie and Raeger were running to find Mistel. Mistel himself was standing at his counter as he usually was, but right now he was not attentive to his surroundings. He was staring at a wall, still going over in his mind all the things he and Lillie had said yesterday.

He wondered why he had decided to let her have what she, supposedly, wanted, but he shook his head absent mindedly then, knowing Lillie would lose interest in him soon enough.

Suddenly the door in front of him swung open so violently, it seemed about to fly off its hinges. Mistel felt as though his heart had leapt up his throat and he didn't calm down much by seeing his two close friends.

"From the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you know I'm dating Lillie now," Mistel said.

Raeger and Annie said nothing in reply. They entered the building and continued approaching him, slowly, until they were so close and still quiet that Mistel felt more than anxious.

"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?" Mistel murmured.

Raeger and Annie yelled together, "WHY WEREN'T WE THE FIRST TO KNOW?!"

* * *

Mistel and Lillie hadn't exactly wanted to rush off and tell the whole town, but Iris had found them and so, that she would leave them be, they had told her what had happened.

Lillie had said goodbye and ran away, leaving the building behind. Iris had apologised for scaring away Mistel's new girlfriend and he had pretended that he wasn't just a slight bit relieved.

Both Mistel and Lillie knew word was bound to spread now that someone else knew, but they were glad they had gotten that one extra day of peace.

Now, Mistel had closed up his own shop for a short time and had pushed Raeger back to his restaurant so that he could get back to work. He stayed and talked to Raeger, knowing his curiosity would not be satiated otherwise, while Annie said she would see him later.

"I'm just so shocked!" Raeger exclaimed and Mistel nodded his head as though he were only half listening. "You never even mentioned Lillie before!"

Raeger looked closer at Mistel, noticing he didn't seem happy or excited.

"So… why? What happened to make you decide to go out with her?"

"...She asked me out," Mistel admitted.

Raeger waited a few moments, expecting Mistel to say something more, but when the silence had gone on long enough, Raeger yelled, "You mean, you don't even like her?! Oh no… Come on. That's just not fair. Lillie has the worst luck ever..."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. Don't you have more important things to worry about than Lillie anyway? Focus your attention on your boyfriend or something," Mistel said and was out of the restaurant in a second, not giving Raeger even a chance to stop him.

Rather than returning to the antique shop right away, Mistel headed around town, smiling when he found Annie. She was finishing up some purchases at the trade depot when she turned and saw Mistel nearby.

"Oh. Have you finished talking to Raeger?" she asked.

"Yes. He only had a few comments to make," Mistel replied.

"I see." Annie stepped forward and her voice became slightly more hushed as she continued. "I had wanted to say… that I was surprised. Surprised that you were dating anyone at all. I mean, it hasn't really been that long since… I started going out with Elise."

Mistel tried to think of something better to do than to simply shrug so that Annie would not react the same way Raeger did. But Annie furrowed her brow and spoke again before he did.

"Wait..." she murmured, "was this my fault? Were you ready to move on and be with somebody else, but I was holding you back? Because I said I might date you? I'm so sorry!"

Mistel quickly interrupted, "No! No, that wasn't what happened. In fact, I didn't know Lillie even liked me until very recently!"

Annie peered at him in confusion, tilting her head as she thought. "Hmm… Then when did you start liking her?" she asked.

Mistel was silent for awhile, then laughed and said, "So how **are** things with you and Elise?"

Annie jumped and took awhile to reply. "Uhhhh, things are... going well."

"Is that all?"

"I, uh... I can't speak for Elise but I'm happy. She makes me happy... and she seems like she's happy too so... that means things are good, right?"

Mistel smiled at Annie's genuineness and nodded. "Well then, I think it's about time I got back to my shop," he said and walked away, managing to escape confrontation.

* * *

White snow blanketed the rooftops around town. Outside the Guild Hall, Elise and Fritz were exchanging a few final words before they returned to their farms that early Tuesday morning. The two squabbling farmers brought their conversation to a close when Mistel, a little ways away, caught their eyes.

"Mornin' Mistel!" Fritz yelled out quickly, forcing Mistel to go over to them instead of walking on by.

Elise also said good morning before Mistel reached them and then greeted them both the same.

"Did Annie decide not to participate in this conquest?" Mistel asked, knowing farmers did not gather so early at the Guild Hall for any reason other than conquests.

"Oh, she said she didn't want to compete if I was going to be one of her opponents," Elise said.

"I see..." Mistel said with a grin, making Elise regret mentioning.

A few moments later, before any of them got a chance to finish a new sentence, Lillie exited the Inn as she was heading to the city for work. She was caught off guard by the group outside the Guild Hall and a long bout of silence followed.

Fritz and Elise stared at both Mistel and Lillie, expecting them to interact in some special way now that they were dating, so the atmosphere that came with the silence was terribly awkward.

Finally, Mistel said, "Good morning Lillie," to which she replied in a squeaky voice, "Morning!"

When Fritz and Elise decided to take over the conversation again, they were relieved.

However, Mistel could not have expected the next thing he was to hear.

"Hey, now that you two are together, you could go on a double date with me and Raeger!" said Fritz.

"Or Annie and I," Elise suggested additionally.

Mistel grimaced as he could not imagine a more horrible experience. He did not even say anything, but simply began backing away so that they would see the expression on his face, which read, _no way in hell._

When he reached the stairs opposite the Guild Hall, he turned around and proceeded down them. Soon he heard Lillie rushing to catch up to him.

Mistel was quiet for a moment before saying, "You're on your way to work, aren't you? I can walk you to the gate."

Lillie was a little startled but didn't protest. She quickly stepped up beside him so they were walking side by side.

As they walked along, Lillie began to talk. "This is… um, the first time that… that we've been alone together since..."

"Since you confessed to me?" Mistel finished in her place.

"Yes. And, well, I don't know what I was expecting but… you seem the same as always. While I'm over here… nerves eating away at me every time I'm around you..."

They were at the gate now, so the two of them stopped and Mistel said, "Oh, that's what you're worried about? Now that we're dating, you were hoping I'd be more honest so you could see a deeper side of me?"

"Uh, I mean, I wasn't expecting _that_ really but… now that you mention it, that would be nice." Lillie's eyes focused on the ground as she was not up to looking Mistel in the eye.

A moment later, Lillie felt a hand on her face and jumped. Mistel was lifting her chin so she would have to stare him down.

"Don't worry, Lillie," he said, "You said you wanted to date me, so I'm going to give you the full experience." Then he let his hand fall back down by his side and turned to leave.

Lillie was frozen for several moments but managed to call out to him, "W-w-wait, what does that mean?!"

"You'll see. You'll see..." came Mistel's response.

He stifled his laughter so Lillie would not hear him as he left the trade depot.

* * *

Mistel was merciless. He remained as civil as necessary, but whenever he was alone with Lillie, he took as many chances as he could get to joke around and upset her nerves each time. She had always been a fun target so Mistel did not have to try very hard to be entertained.

The thought came to him occasionally when he saw Lillie hiding her face that he rarely felt as free as he did when teasing her. The only other time he'd felt this free was when he would chat with Raeger, and that hardly happened anymore with Raeger's new schedule.

The following Saturday, Lillie and Mistel had the chance to spend more time together than on weekdays, and during this time, she began to ask him a question.

"Um… Mistel?"

"Yes?"

"I've been wondering… That time when I ran into you with Elise and Fritz, was the reason you looked so horrified about their double date suggestions because you don't like dates or… is it just the idea of being on a date with me?"

Mistel was quick to dispel these thoughts from Lillie's mind. While grimacing again at the thought of a double date, he said, "I would never want to share an intimate moment with my lover with others."

Lillie perked up. "Does that mean you _would_ want to go on a date?" She immediately regretted saying this, looking down and covering her face with her hands. "N-no, I'm sorry! Pretend I didn't say that-"

But it was already too late. Mistel had a sly smile on his face as he said, "Oh, I have the _perfect_ idea! Yes, we should have an early dinner. Is that all right with you?"

"...What do you mean by the _perfect_ idea?!"

"Oh, Lillie. I already said that I couldn't spoil any surprises… So, shall we meet at 6 at my place? After all, I wouldn't want to share this intimate moment with anyone else..."

Lillie remained with her head buried in her hands for several moments longer before finding courage enough to squeak, "Okay!"

And so she arrived at the antique shop at approximately 6, when Mistel was serving up their meal for that night. She kept her eye on him, suspicious, as he finished setting the table and awaited her to take her seat.

Even as Lillie sat at the table, she kept thinking about how Mistel had said 'the perfect idea' and wondering what he could be plotting. Mistel observed her motionlessness for awhile before asking, "Was it too early? Are you not hungry?"

Lillie looked up, shaking her head and saying, "No, I'm fine!"

She took a forkful of her meal and ate quickly, continuing for a few more forkfuls before slowing her pace.

"Hmm, what else do couples do?" Mistel murmured.

He already knew exactly what he was going to do next, but he watched Lillie awhile in silence to see if she would react to his words.

Lillie remained focused on her plate, although she played with her hair absent mindedly a little to make sure her ears were covered entirely by brown locks, as her ears had gone hot and turned pink at Mistel's question.

Mistel now took a forkful of his own dish and said, "Lillie? Say ahhh."

Knowing she'd react now, Mistel watched gleefully as Lillie's eyes widened and she turned her head up to face him. She stared at him, stunned for some time, and then snapped, "No!"

She clamped her mouth shut defiantly after this proclamation. Mistel asked again but Lillie only shook her head.

He sighed. "If you want this relationship to work, you're going to have to fight your embarrassment sometimes."

Truthfully, they had done nothing couple-like in the time they'd been going out. Lillie knew little of what relationships were like, but she knew that much.

She knew her face must be bright red now, but she bravely said, "All right then!"

When Mistel noticed she was leaning across the table, he leaned to meet her midway and Lillie then took hold of the fork as well, so she would at least have partial control.

She cleaned off the fork with one swift bite and retreated back to her seat where she chewed grumpily, looking off to the side.

Mistel said soon after, "You know it's completely fine if you want to get revenge and embarrass me back, right?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Anything that would embarrass you would embarrass me more!" Lillie replied.

Mistel let the smile on his face turn into a laugh now, not caring if Lillie thought he was even crueller than before.

A moment later, Lillie continued, "It might be different if you would tell me your weaknesses."

Mistel stopped laughing at once, startled. "Excuse me…? What do you mean?"

"Well, you can get inside other people's heads so you know what they're thinking… You **know** all my weaknesses and can figure out other people's too. It's only fair that you tell your girlfriend your weaknesses so we can be equals."

Mistel laughed nervously, relieved, and then softly said, "Not so early into this relationship."

Lillie was confused. Mistel found the blank, innocent look on her face to be adorable and a little hilarious too, so he began laughing loudly as he had been shortly before.


End file.
